Edo Safer Under Him Than Anambra Under Obi -Oshiomhole

Former Edo State Governor and APC chieftain Adams Oshiomhole claimed at the weekend that Edo State was safer under his administration than Anambra State was under Peter Obi, criticising the Labour Party leader’s handling of insecurity during his time as governor.

Oshiomhole made the comments while reacting to ongoing debates about insecurity across Nigeria, in which Obi has been a vocal critic of the Tinubu administration’s security record. The former Edo governor argued that Obi’s criticism of the current government’s handling of insecurity should be measured against his own record in office, which Oshiomhole described as marked by significant security challenges in Anambra.

‘When I governed Edo State, we maintained a level of security that many other states could not match at the time,’ Oshiomhole said, without providing specific data to support the comparison. He added that politicians who criticise current security challenges should also be prepared to account for their own records in government.

Obi Allies Push Back

Allies of Peter Obi rejected Oshiomhole’s characterisation, saying the comparison was both unfair and politically motivated. They argued that security conditions across Nigeria have deteriorated significantly since Obi left office in Anambra, and that comparing historical security records across different time periods ignores the broader national context of worsening insecurity under the current administration.

The exchange comes amid broader political sparring ahead of the 2027 general elections, with APC figures increasingly seeking to challenge Obi’s credibility on governance issues as he continues to position himself as a leading opposition voice. Furthermore, the Soludo aide’s separate criticism of Obi’s call for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, describing it as a major slap on the Nigerian judiciary, adds to a pattern of APC aligned figures from the South East challenging Obi’s political positions.

However, Obi’s supporters say such attacks reflect growing anxiety within the ruling party about his continued relevance and influence ahead of 2027. Still, political analysts say the exchange illustrates how insecurity has become a central battleground issue that all sides are using to score political points rather than purely as a policy concern. Notably, the debate took place just days after President Tinubu’s Democracy Day pledge that the government would never surrender to terrorists and bandits, a pledge that VeryDarkMan and other activists have criticised as insufficient. Consequently, insecurity is shaping up as one of the defining political battlegrounds of the pre-2027 campaign period.

Soludo Aide Criticises Obi Over Kanu Release Call

In related political news, an aide to Anambra Governor Charles Soludo criticised Peter Obi’s call for the release of detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, describing it as a major slap on the Nigerian judiciary and an insult to the Finnish courts that had earlier handled aspects of Kanu’s case. The aide said elected officials should respect ongoing judicial processes rather than make public calls that could be seen as undermining the courts. In addition, the comments reflect continuing political sensitivities around the Kanu case in the South East.